(19)
(11) EP 0 845 214 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
31.03.1999 Bulletin 1999/13

(43) Date of publication A2:
03.06.1998 Bulletin 1998/23

(21) Application number: 98100616.6

(22) Date of filing: 09.08.1995
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)6: A21C 3/02
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

(30) Priority: 10.08.1994 US 292816

(62) Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
95928357.3 / 0782390

(71) Applicant: RECOT, INC.
Pleasanton, CA 94588 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Ouellette, Edward L.
    Corinth, Texas 76208 (US)
  • Broyles, Carolyn E.
    McKinney, Texas 75070 (US)
  • Wilson, Barry F.
    Santa Monica, California 90403 (US)

(74) Representative: Jenkins, Peter David et al
PAGE WHITE & FARRER 54 Doughty Street
London WC1N 2LS
London WC1N 2LS (GB)

 
Remarks:
This application was filed on 15 - 01 - 1998 as a divisional application to the application mentioned under INID code 62.
 


(54) Apparatus for forming sheets of material having a uniform thickness and cutting individual portions therefrom


(57) An apparatus for forming a sheet of material from a supply of the material, and for cutting portions of the material from the sheet of material, the apparatus including: a support, first and second rotatable rollers positioned adjacent each other to form a gap therebetween for receiving the material from the supply and outputting a sheet of the material, a drive for rotating the rollers and a cutter secured to the support and including an elongated member having an exterior surface configured to cut individual portions of the material from the sheet of material, the elongated member having opposite ends and a central portion; characterized by: the cutter being secured to the support with the central portion of the elongated member pressed against the front roller for cutting the sheet of material into the individual portions, the opposite ends of the elongated member each being journalled in a bearing and having a lift force applied thereagainst to press the central portion of the elongated member against the front roller, and wherein a bending moment is applied to each of the opposite ends of the elongated member to induce a camber in the elongated member and provide a uniform pressure across the interface of the central portion thereof and the front roller; whereby bowing of the cutter and resultant reduction in pressure between the elongated member and front roller is prevented.






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